CHAPTER FIVE–THE BEAU AT THE BAR
Stepladed Juice that first fitfulnight in the bland but blessedly anonymous hotels. She band and turned through the dark hours, tormented by flashes of memory echoing all the web she neverted to hear from Ethan’s lips again,
Eventually, come in those pre–dawn hours, the must have died into a shallow, nightmare–riddled slumber.
Because she lied awake with a strangled gasp as the first slants of morning light crept through the curtains, her phone burring inimily on the nightstand
Disoriented, Jasmine spinted at the screen, ber heart stammering when Ethan’s name and phondashed arms the display.
Alter, it dickened as the call went to voicemail, only to immediately illuminate with a string of exp.
“Jimin, please pick up.”
“We have talk about this rationally.”
On and on the messages continued in that cajoling win, ich vibrant ping like a fresh leation as her trood defenses. Stilling the horror of yesterday, Jasmine could‘ fathom facing him and his play.
With a shuddering whale, she thumbed the phone off and assed it act the rampled bedding before hauling herself up. She needed a stiff dink and a semporary respite from conting this gaping sentul vound any further.
The hotel bar was blessedly quiet when Jaurine slipped in a short while later. Only a matting of other get populated the dimly lit space, bushed comeration mingling with the soft strains of jazz lining from the speakers,
Noone paid her any mind as she claimed a shadowy corner table and settled in to nerwandy moth the rocktail menu.
“Can I get you praised with something? Maybe a glass of the Montrachet?
The bartender’s polite lilt made Jasmine start slighty, hot she quickly regained her comprenough to after a faint, tremulous smile. “Just just a dirty martini, please.”
“You get it.” He whisked away to begin her drink order, leaving Jasmine alone with her chuming thoughts
The sting of Ethan’s deception la an open wound, one she keptfriesly pldingat no matter how much it made her popdie bleed.
Subconsciously, she rugged the plush terrych robe tight and her as if it could protect her from the onslaught of memories and recrimination battering from within.
Jasmine startled again when the bartender retumed a few minutes later with her drink and a fresh rocktail naplón. Har eyes widened slightly as she took in the neat scrasil at apbote number across the cloth, accompanied by a simple –
“Seth. In case you need anything else.”
The bartenders threw her a wink bedre pronto ist aber patio further down the polished granice cours, Jamie’s freshly rouged cheek heated, but she faced a shaky bough under ber bathandsumed her attention to her much–needed dirty mirtini
She had helyrakin her bracing sip when a carried over her shoulder.
“should have guessed you were a martini gli “The ich oke was edged with a mousing lit. They don’t let just a look that miserable in a hotel bar before noom these days.”
Jasmine turned to find a vaguely familiar and undeniably handsome fare sliding into the neighboring chair. His hazel eyes crinkled engagingly at the corners, like he spent most of his days laughing and charming everyone around him without aff
“I—sorry, de 1 know you?” she asked uncertainly, Instinctively charching her robe a linle righent.
The strangers during unili widened fractionally. “Ah, forgive me. Where are my manners?
He extended a hand across the high–top table. “Matthew Callahan I’m an archairet waking on a project just down the street actually.
Jasmine hesitated a moment before placing her hand in iis, pving it a perfunctory sluke. “Jasmine.”
“Well, Jasmine, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Matthew und warmly, not releasing her lingets right away. Though I wish the documstances were a little happier for you.”
She atted her gaze, best coeeping up her neck at his casual assessment of her downtrodden demeanor. “Tat, vel it’s been a challenging day.”
“I can chat. His vestir with what seemed like genuine expathy “The kindod day that cals for drinks and maybe sharing your burden with a friendly stranger?
Janine shot him a pied look, but the twinkle of gentle humor in Matthew’s eyes ficarmed her guardedness slightly
what’s more, something abouth candid, umeambled charm reminded her of easier Goes with
No. She couldn’t allow herself to go there, not right now. Not when the pain from Dhan’s cruel betrayal were still in Hindingly cow.
Matthese seemed to serie her internal stropade as the silence sronched between them. “iley, how about I get us another round and we can just not talk for a while, day? Sometimes that’s
Jamieblinked,comidering his surprangly mighthal offer. Then, surprising berselt, she paras
Somehow, the prospect of sharing eny, undemanding company with this stranger was far more appealing than setreating to the only tion of her hotel room apis.
To this word, Matthew simply sat back with her authey sipped their fresh cocinals in a comfortable quint. He didn’t press or pepperher with prying questions, seeming Jasmine determine the pace and flow of whatever happened next.
As the one–sided train slowlywed from her shoulders, she found herself analong sidelong glances at her new acquaintance
Up close, the could make our the smattering of reddish blond scruff covering his chiseled jawline and the way his shirt deeves strained against coded his drink. An unding radiated from his casual posture and easy charisma
Matthew cirughter asing look and threw her a regalsh wink. “Ser something you like?”
Rettered Jamie immediately averted her pace back is her martini glan, giving it an overly focused with her toothpicksprat.
She could the ripp of her ears burning hotly, but before she could form are some flustered esporte, Matthew let out a good–manured chuckle.
“Relou. I’m just messing with you “His smile held hint of mindery, only friendly warmth. “Though I’ll take a blach like that as confirmation l’on still devilishly handume.”
Jasmine couldn’t fight the sixitled puff of lighten that caped her lips at his playful canda. She quickly stilled it with another sip of her drink, though the one of her painted mouth
minded ever so slightly in the ghost of a smile.
For these this nightmare began, her mind wasn’s concurred with pearming images of than and his insidious betrapal Matthew’s uncomplicated presence and easy bunter was a welcome balm against the mama still so brutally fresh in her prych
Maybe that man why, when their drink
drained and hegested for the harder to bring them another round, Jasmine made no more to slow down or signal the end of the
Instead, she perlined more confortably inther than and allowed their conversation to drill in an increasingly familar cadence.